Vatapá

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Rich, substantial, and tropically flavored - vatapá is one of the most famous Brazilian dishes, a main course consisting of a combination of stale bread, fish (usually cod), shrimp, coconut milk, manioc flour, dendê palm oil, and cashews. The dish is often consumed with white rice, or as a filling for acarajé fritters, another popular Brazilian dish. Bright yellow in color, vatapá is a specialty of Bahia, a state on the country's northeastern coast that is heavily influenced by the West Africans who were brought to the country as slaves. Although the origins of this dish are unknown, most culinary historians agree that it was invented in Bahia, even if the basic concept for the dish came from Africa.